Methods of and apparatus for boring wells, drifts and the like



L.' E. CRAPEZ 2,915,288

METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BORING WELLS, DRIFTS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 2 5 A .EP 5 w Dec. 1, 1959 Filed July 26, 1955 4 w WZ////////////////////v' V b. rIIllllI/l; VII. Illl'l: Ill!!! W :1 l lllll i 7/ llll/lll/I/l 2 5 6 y Dec. 1, 1959 L. E. CRAPEZ 2,915,288

METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BORING WELLS, DRIFTS AND THE LIKE Filed July 26, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1.. E; CRAPEZ Dec. 1, 1959 METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BORING WELLS, DRIFTS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 26, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 L. E. CRAPEZ METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BORING WELLS, DRIF'TS AND THE LIKE 5 a A 5 A 0 I. A a 4 m M a 7 a 4V0 r 6 X a 4 4 H J 1 .1 8\. il l 1:116 w ll 1/1 1. IIHI 4 x 5 ,A a 5 y M v,

Dec. 1, 1959 Filed'July 26, 1955 L. CRAPEZ 2,915,288 METHODS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BORING WELLS, mum's AND THE LIKE Dec. 1, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 26, 1955 United States Patent METHODS OF APPARATUS FOR BORING WELLS, DRIFTS AND THE LIKE Lon Edmond Crapez, Paris, France Application July 26, 1955, Serial No. 524,455

Claims priority, application France October 26 1954 Claims. (Cl. 255-3) The present invention relates to devices or apparatus employed for boring wells or drifts, wherein a combined rotational and percussive motion is imparted to groundengaging members. 7 power unit adapted to actuate the tools proper and the latter are associated with a conveyor and a container both incorporated in thedevice and adapted to store the spoil or excavated material. I

These devices are driven from a According to a preferred form of embodiment of the I present invention, the percussion and rotary drilling tool is arranged at'the leadingend of a tubular casing guided by the walls of theexcavation and this casing has mounted therein a conveyor adapted to takethe spoil from the rear of the operative tool surfaces and to raise'the spoil to the downstream portion'of the casing, this casing being associated with an extractor driven into the excavation .from its inlet orifice down to the aforesaid downstream portion of the casing, this extractor being adapted to remove the spoil therefrom and to discharge same from the excavation. Thus, the drilling tool may operate continuously and its efiiciency is increased proportionally.

In the case of a well boring, the tool is fed by its inherent gravity and provided with a water-tight central housing containing the power unit. An Archimedean screw conveyor is provided between the outer "wall of this housing and the inner wall of the tubular casing. The entire space downstream of the casing is adapted'to receive an interfitting extracting bucket suspended from adequate hoisting means.

The present invention is also concerned with improvements in the tool-driving mechanism.

, In order to aiforda clearer understanding of the invention and of the manner in which the same may be carried out in practice, a preferred embodiment thereof will be I described hereafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial axial section illustrating the arrangement of a combined excavating and extracting unit.

constructed in accordance with theteachings of this in vention.

Figure 2 is.a side view showing the tool-supporting and hoisting platform;

Figure 3.is a front view of the arrangement of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a plan view from above of the same arrangement;

Figure 5 is a partly sectional view showing on a larger scale the extracting toolassembly;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the extracting tool of Fig. 5;

Figure 7 is a partly sectional view showing the excavating assembly;

Fig. 8 is a section of Fig. 7, taken along the line VIII- VIII;

Fig. 9 is a partial front view, on an enlarged scale, of the arms carrying the percussion and rotary drilling tools;

Figs. 10 and 11 are sections of Fig. 9 taken along the lines X-X and XI--XI respectively 2,915,288 Patented Dec. 1, 1959 Fig. 13 is a partial axial section of another embodiment. .of an excavating and'extractingunit according tothe invention. I p As illustrated in Figs. 1 and '7. to .11, the excavating assembly comprises in a casing 1, open at both ends on the one hand, a mandrel 55 carrying a centering bit '60 integral with arms 61 carrying the percussion and drilling tools 62, and, on the otherhand, a streamlined, watertight housing 2, surrounding said mandrel 55- and the power means drivingsaidinandrel, said housing being rigid with the helical fins 5 of an Archimedean screw provided on their underface and adjacent to their outer edges with driving'l'ugs 6 adapted to rotary driving of the arms 61 as described'presentlyf Said mandrel 55 and said housing 2 are mounted 'in said casing 1 by means of a tubular member 3 rigid with lateral tubular arms 4 secured on said casing 1 through plates 65'welded on said arms and bolted on a ring'66 welded on the inner surface of the cylindrical'body35 of said casing 1 (Fig. 8). The term fins? employed herein is intended to designate either a singlefcontinuous.helical thread formed or secured around the housing 2, or a multiple helical thread,'this constituting but a constructional detail which may be altered without departing from the principles ofthis invention. The casing 1is formed'with a part 7 extending upwardly with respect tofins 5 and adapted to constitute a reservoir or container forthe'spoil to be evacuated.

K This casing is suspended from a pair of laterally spaced cables 8 (Fig. '2) passing over a pair of sheaves 9 mounted on an A-frame or gantry 10 which, in the example illustrated, is carried by a platform 11 supported by wheels 12. This platform is steadied by telescopic jacks 13 bearing on the ground through feet located on either side of the well orifice. An auxiliary sheave 14 is provided on the A-frame 10 for guiding the conductor cable 15 supplying electric current to the electromotor 38 (Fig. 7) incorporated in the housing 2. The mechanical and electrifor instance in the vicinity of the well orifice.

The shaft on which the sheaves 9 are mounted is also provided with a central sheave 18 (Fig. 3) receiving in its groove another mechanical cable 19 wound on a drum of a separate winch 20 (Fig. 4) drivenfrom power means similar to those driving the drum 16. From the vertical side of this cable 19 an extraction assembly is suspended. This assembly comprises a power head 21 (Fig. 1) provided with a suspension hook and rigid with an extraction container 22 open at its lower end and provided with a normally closed fiuidetight discharge gate 23 pivoted at 51 on container 22 andmaintained by means of a latch 64. The power head 21 contains an electromotor 24 (Fig. 5) connected to a conventional reduction gearing housed within a gear box 25 and adapted through a splined shaft 26 to drive a shaft 27 carrying a double-thread helical fin or screw system 28. This screw system 28 is guided by the upper bearing 29 of shaft 27 and also by the engagement of the fin outer edges with the inner wall of the course, the 'electromotor 24 is connected to the generating set 17 through'a teed cable 32 passing over a sheave 33 adjacent to the sheave 18 and this cable 32 is adapted to He payed out orworrridn on a drum '34'sirnila'r to drum 20 and mounted therewith on jacomrnon -shaft.

The casing 1 of the excavating assembly is of a cons'tr'uction substantially similar to that of the extracting assemblyor extractor, in that it comprises a cylindrical sheet metal body 35 reinforced externally by spaced longitudinal ribs 36. These ribs carry outer longitudinal fins 37 adapted to be sunk into the wall of the well drilled by the tool so as to prevent the casing 1 from rotating in the well under th'ethrust resulting from the reactions of the drilling tool. The upper portion of the cylindrical body 35 has welded or otherwise secured thereon anchoring pins 8a (Fig. 7) for the suspension cables 8 and lugs 39 adapted to engage the ribs '30 orthe extractor. In fact, when said extractor is lowered as shown 'in' Fig. 1 while passing between cables 8; the lower portion of its container 22 is fitted within'thefcylindrical body 35 of the excavating assembly casing and the inner edges of the helical fins 28 engage the spoil driven by the helical fins S to the upper portion of this casing. This axial fitting is limited by the engagement of the'lateral skids 31 of the extractor on the upper edge of the casing 1; the ribs 30 -co acting with the lugs 39 to prevent the extracting assembly from rotating when the helical fins 23 are actuated. The device described hereinabove operates as follows: As the excavating "tool cuts its way through the well and is lowered therein it is held against rotation by the longitudinal fins 37. The cutting tools proper loosen nose of said streamlined housing 2. This sleeve extension 46.extends through the packing 49 of a bearing 50 secured through a flange 69 on the lower wall of a case 52 secured on the plate 41 and surrounding shaft 40 and formation material from the bottom of the well and these particles are taken by the helical fins 5 and delivered into the upper container forming portion 7 of casing 1. When this container is full the operatonwarned either visually or through any suitable control means, lowers the extractor down the well and the helical fins 28 penetrate through the spoil contained in said container forming portion 7. When rotary driven only said hits 28 would not be able to remove said spoil with a good efficiency, since said spoil must be previously packed. In order to increase said efficiency and to permit the removingof loose spoil, the helical fins 28 are simultaneously submitted to shocks transmitted to casing 1 under the action of the percussive motion imparted to tools 6.2. The extractor is then taken out of well and subsequently discharged at the convenient discharge place either through the gate 23 which is opened by means of the handleof latch 64 or through its bottom by reversing the electrorn'otor 24 in orderto'rotate the helical 'fins 28 in the .propor direction. Thus, the spoil may be removed without discontinuing the cutting or drilling work.

The excavating assembly proper comprises in the fluidtight housing 2 an electromotor 38 to which electric current is sup lied through a cable extending through the hollow shaft 3fro'm which the motor is suspendedand one of the side arms 4, whereafter it is connected to the aforesaid power cable 15. It will be noted that the suspension cables 8 and the conductorcable 15 are positioned sidewise to permit the downward travel of the ext'rac'ting assembly. The motor 38 is coupled to a conventional reduction gearing hou ed within a gear box 39a and having a splined output shaft 40 of tubular section. The gear box 3% is rigid with a plate 41 throughwhich the splined shaft 40 extends and this plate has secured thereon a fluid-tight concentrical sheath 42 disposed internally of the housing 2. Said sheath 42 is secured on a-plate 67 welded at the end of the tubular member 3. The tubular member 3 acts as a trunnion for a fluid-tight bearing rigid with the housing 2, which bearing consists of two parts 43a and 43, the last o ne abutting against plate 67.

A sleeve 45 formed with internal splines engaging the splines 68 on shaft 40 is provided with an extension 46 or smaller diameter which is rigid with a flange 47 bolted sleeve 45. On the inner wall of said case 52 are fixed by means of a bracket 70 a set of spaced-rollers 44 having their axes disposed radially.

Under these conditions the power and driving unit carried by'the aforesaid plate 41 is held against motion by the fixation of said plate 41 on the tubular member 3 through sheath 42 and plate 67. Its driving connection through the splined shaft 40 and the relevant sleeves 45 4-6 with plate 48 welded on housing 2 enables this unit to rotate said housing 2 around tubular member 3 by means of bearing 43--43a, as well as the parts rigid therewith, namely flange 47 and sleeve 45- -46.

'iwo bearings 53, 54 are provided in the extension46 for journaling and guiding the tool-carrying mandrel 55 in its rotary and reciprocal movement defined hereinafter; this mandrel is solid and smooth, and has secured on its upper end a socket 56 having its axis disposed at right angles to the mandrel axis and underthe spli-ned shaft 40; a driving pin 57 extends through this socket 56 and also through a pair of elongated holes 71 formed inthe wall 'of sleeve 45; this driving pin further carries at either end -a-roller58. A damping andreturn spring 59 is positioned between thesocket 56 and the bearing 53 in order to apply roller-s58 "against rollers 44. V r I The lower or outer end of the mandrel 55 carries a set of tools comprising in the example illustrated a centering bit 60 integral with a pair of diametrally opposite transverse arms 6l formed withoblique threaded perforations 72 through which are screwed the excavating tools 62 (Fig. 10). Retractable boring teeth 63 pivotally mounted on the outer ends of arms '61 abut against stops 73 under the action of release springs 74, whereby said teeth 63 bore the well on a diameter substantially greater than that of body 35 reinforced by ribs 36 when the excavating operation progresses. When the excavating assembly is to be raised i-n,or taken out of the well said teeth retract in order to escape through the tubing of said well. The arms 61 which are reciprocally movahle'vertically under the interengagement of rollers 44 and 58, are 'rotatably driven through the driving l-ug s 6 carried by the helical fins 5. Said lugs consist of downwardly directed plates welded on the lower edgeso'f helical fin's 5 and formed with a vertical edge 75 facing the corresponding arm 61 (Fig. 11).

The above-described tool unit operates as follows:

As the housing 2 and helical fins 5 rotate, the lugs '6 carried by said 'fi'ns bear against the arms 61 which are thus driven in a rotary rnotion, said arms driving in turn the mandrel 55 and pin 57. 'The rollers 58 carried by said pin 57 co-act with rollers 44 to cause the former to travel along path A (Fig. 1-2) formed by successive turning back curvatures, whereby the mandrel 55 is caused to effect jerky movements by-sliding in the bearings 53, 54 while subjected to successive percussions under the action of the weight of the power head, whichpercussioris are transmitted to the tools 62 which thus will simultaneously scrape and strike the bottom of the bore during their circular movement. In this case the propelling motion of the excavating assembly results from the simple action of gravity.

, Of course, if the excavating tool properis to have'a'selfcentering action, the arms thereof which carry the percussion and drilling tools may be adequately shaped, for instance said arms 610 may be V-shaped as illustrated in Fig. 13, but in this case a-corresponding shape must be given to the end portions Of the helical'fins '5.

Moreover, it will be readily understood by anybody conversant with the art that many modifications and alterations may be brought to the embodiment shown and described herein, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an excavating and extracting unit for boring Wells, drifts and the like and of the type comprising a power means housed in and drivingly connected to a fluid-tight housing contained in the lower part of a casing open at its ends and which is maintained in a non-rotary state, said power means rotary driving helical fins internally secured on the outer surface of said housing and externally sliding on the internal wall of said casing for delivering spoil into the upper part of said casing; the improvement which comprises an assembly disposed in stationary position below the power means, means for displaceably connecting said assembly to the casing, a central mandrel, means supporting the mandrel for reciprocal movement in its axial direction with respect to said assembly, drilling tools depending from said mandrel, means for rotary driving said reciprocable tool-carrying mandrel in response to the power means and fins, and means between said reciprocable mandrel and said assembly to apply impact forces to the mandrel and therefore to the tools while the mandrel is rotary driven by said power means.

2. An excavating and extracting unit according to claim 1, wherein the means for connecting the stationary assembly to the casing comprises a stationary central shaft disposed above the power means and around which rotates the fiuid-tight housing, radial arms interconnecting said shaft and the internal wall of the casing, a stationary casing housed in said fluid-tight housing and surrounding said power means, and a plate secured on the lower end of said stationary casing and under which is secured the stationary assembly.

3. An excavating and extracting unit according to claim 1, wherein the reciprocable mandrel carries radial arms on which are secured the drilling tools and wherein the means for rotary driving said reciprocable tool-carrying mandrel comprises lugs carried by the upstream edges of said fins and adapted to bear against said arms when said fins are rotary driven, said lugs defining a vertical clearance with respect to said arms in order to allow their reciprocable movement.

4. An excavating and extracting unit according to claim 1, wherein the means for applying percussions to the mandrel comprises a set of rollers pivotally mounted on the stationary assembly, having their axes disposed radially with respect to the mandrel axis and circularly disposed in equispaced relationship around said mandrel axis, a

driving pin carried by said mandrel, having its axis at right angles to the mandrel axis and extending on either side of said mandrel, two rollers pivotally mounted at the ends of said driving pin and adapted to engage underneath the rollers of said set of rollers, and a resilient device operatively associated with said rollers and adapted to apply said two rollers against those of said set of rollers.

5. In an excavating and extracting unit for boring wells, drifts and the like and of the type comprising an excavating assembly having a power means housed in and drivingly connected to a fluid-tight housing contained in the lower part of a casing open at its ends and which is maintained in a non-rotary state, said power means rotary driving helical fins internally secured on the outer surface of said housing and externally sliding on the internal wall of said casing for delivering the spoil into the upper part of said casing and a removable extracting assembly having an electromotor rotary driving helical fins externally sliding on the internal wall of an extraction container open at its lower end and adapted to bear on the casing and to penetrate through the spoil contained in the upper part of the excavating casing for removing the spoil from said upper part; the improvement which comprises an assembly disposed in stationary position below the power means, means for displaceably connecting said assembly to the casing, a central mandrel, means supporting the mandrel for reciprocal movement in its axial direction with respect to said assembly, drilling tools depending from said mandrel, means for rotary driving said reciprocable tool-carrying mandrel by the power means through the first said fins, and means between said reciprocable.

mandrel and said assembly to apply impact forces to the mandrel and therefore the tools while the mandrel is rotary driven by said power means, whereby the loose spoil contained in the upper part of the excavating casing is removed from said part under the simultaneous action of the rotary driven helical extracting fins and of the shocks transmitted to said fins under the action of the percussive movement imparted to the drilling tools.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 175,987 Howard et al. Apr. 11, 1876 1,083,666 Cook Jan. 6, 1914 1,841,302 Simmons Jan. 12, 1932 1,880,214 Simmons Oct. 4, 1932 1,993,366 Englebright Mar. 5, 1935 2,187,845 Tatalovich Jan. 23, 1940 2,306,118 Graham Dec. 22, 1942 

